Bronx, N.Y. – Fordham softball opened up a crucial three-game series with Atlantic 10 rival Massachusetts and blanked the Minutewomen with back-to-back four-hit shutouts, one by
Bailey Enoch and the other by
Holly Beeman. The Rams improve to 16-24 overall and 7-9 in league play, while UMass fall to 14-26 and 5-11, respectively.
Enoch and Beeman each recorded their third career shutouts on the day, the former striking out five, the latter four, with just 11 combined baserunners allowed. The offense got off to a fast start in the opening frame, rattling off two singles and two doubles, all with two outs, for three runs, starting with an Enoch bloop single, back-to-back doubles by
Sydney Wells and
Julia Martine, and an
Eva Koratsis single.
Neleh Nogay added the fourth run in the second inning with a two-out RBI single through the right side to score
Michaela Carter.
In game two, Beeman's effort was backed by two sacrifice flies, first by Martine in the first with the bases loaded to score Carter and then Wells in the third to score Nogay. The freshman speedster went 2-for-3 in each contest, adding a walk, run, and RBI, and made a highlight-reel diving catch in foul territory for the day's first out. Wells finished the day 2-for-4, also adding a walk and a run but two RBIs. Carter went 2-for-4 in game two and walked once in game one, while Enoch and Koratsis also reached base safely more than once.
Sunday brings the series finale, beginning at noon on MSG and ESPN+.
